Since the early 1960's with the introduction of multi-level autorack structures which transport automobiles and other vehicles on flatcars, railroads have gained substantial market share from highway carriers. Railroads purchase the rack structure which is applied to a flatcar provided to that railroad. The racks are built to carry either two or three levels of vehicles, depending on rail clearances and the heights of vehicles being transported. Auto sizes and industry requirements have changed over time and rack designs have evolved from simple, open frames to complex, fully-enclosed structures. As a result there are now several different flatcar types in this service, all of which have hydraulic end-of-car cushioning. The autorack railcar of conventional construction has side walls are actually screens having many holes therethrough for air and light and to protect against flying objects which could injure the automobiles in transit. The walls are supported by posts or struts.
There is a need in the autorack freight car industry to provide protection to the automobiles being transported. It is common for one of the doors of an automobile to swing open during transport, colliding with one of the side walls of the autorack freight car and causing expensive damage to the door of the vehicle. This same type of damage can also be caused by the careless opening of the car door after it has been driven onto the freight car, or later on when it is time to remove the vehicle.
Prior art techniques for cushioning and protecting the edges of car doors from any impact with the walls of the autorack freight cars are expensive and time-consuming to properly mount. Furthermore, prior art systems of this nature require protruding material that restrict the ability of the workers to do their jobs. The invention is an improvement over such prior art systems as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,311,823 to Rudebaugh et al. and U.S. Pat No. 5,762,001 to Dworakowski. It is the object of the present invention to provide a large degree of protection along the side walls of an autorack freight car at a low cost and with ease of installation.
The improvements adapt the method and apparatus to additional unique considerations and improve certain aspects of the product as to the environment in which it is used, particularly as to providing improved installation, economy and operation recognizing the particular needs of door edge protection as distinguished from more complex solutions that are derived from more traditional rail car product protection principles which are then wasteful of resources and provide unnecessary and complex systems for the door edge protection task.